At least 21 people have died after a boat carrying people seeking to migrate irregularly sank off Senegal's northwestern coast, the country's Interior and Public Security Ministry said on Sunday.
One survivor had been rescued and 21 bodies recovered as of the evening of Saturday, November 7, while authorities said the toll remained provisional and search operations were continuing.
The vessel sank off Kébémer, north of the capital Dakar, according to the ministry, which did not say how many people had been on board.
Reuters reported that Kébémer is about 180 kilometres north of Dakar, while Al Jazeera said local reports placed the sinking off the Loumpoul dunes in Kébémer department.
The ministry said state services had been mobilised to search for possible additional survivors and assist victims' families.
Interior and Public Security Minister Mouhamadou Makhtar Cissé is due to visit the area on Monday, November 9.
The government also reiterated its intention to combat migrant-smuggling networks, including through greater cooperation with neighbouring countries.
The sinking comes amid continuing migration by sea from West Africa towards Spain's Canary Islands.
Spanish migrant rights group Caminando Fronteras, also known as Walking Borders, recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January 1 and May 31, 2026.
The group's data provides additional context to the latest sinking: it said arrivals on the route fell by 72% during that period, while estimating that around 21 people died for every 100 who reached the islands, compared with about 14 for every 100 arrivals in 2025.
The incident also occurred two days after Senegal's Interior Ministry said Cissé had met his Spanish counterpart in Dakar for talks focused on strengthening cooperation against irregular migration, including prevention, operational coordination and information-sharing.
Authorities on Spain's El Hierro island declared an emergency on Saturday amid increased migrant boat arrivals, according to reports cited by Al Jazeera.